An Examination of Standardized Language, Mathematics, and Reading Achievement Testing Results when Compared for Middle School Aged Student Leaders and Non-Student Leaders

The evolution of the middle school concept, according to Forte and Schurr (2003), with its own identity and its subsequent implementation, has proven to be an ideal or preferred model for educating students. Knowles and Brown (2000) assert the importance of middle level teachers\u27 ability to nurture their students\u27 academic, emotional, personal, and social development during the often chaotic years of transescence and early adolescence. This study examined and explored sixty-four randomly selected seventh grade middle school students\u27 earned scores on their annual standardized achievement testing, particularly the Terra Nova II Multiple Assessments subtests in the areas of Language, Mathematics, and Reading. The investigator wanted to determine if demonstrating and applying leadership abilities, competencies, qualities, skills, and traits positively influenced the seventh grade middle school students\u27 earned achievement? Additionally, regardless of the seventh grade middle school students\u27 intelligence quotient (IQ), did their demonstrating leadership abilities, competencies, qualities, skills, and traits positively influence their earned scores on the annual standardized achievement testing, particularly the Terra Nova II Multiple Assessments subtests in the areas of Language, Mathematics, and Reading? The statistical analyses included an analysis of variance (ANOVA), specifically a T test; in addition, an F test was subsequently calculated to determine any significant interactions. The findings of this study were explored and discussed from Freed and Parsons (1997) view of the left-right brain continuum, as two of the three main effect hypotheses were rejected. As a result, the findings yielded a significant difference in student leaders and non-student leaders\u27 earned achievement test scores on the subtests of Language and Reading on the Terra Nova II Multiple Assessments. This investigator suggests that the left-right brain continuum theory is a potential, valid, and research-supported variable in this study, as it elucidates students\u27 learning styles. Moreover, it is widely stated and commonly known that learning styles ultimately effect students\u27 achievement and earned scores on both standardized testing and authentic assessments. Finally, the results of this study can assist professional guidance counselors, as well as school district administrators and faculty who are considering implementation and germination of such student leadership programs in their middle school curriculum

Demonstrative experiments about gold nanoparticles and nanofilms: an introduction to nanoscience

International audienceAn important task of the scientific community is to provide non-specialized audience with explanations about what is nanoscience. Such explanations can be given during public conferences, seminars in high schools or lab work organized with teachers. And very often, the use of an experimental illustration greatly helps to raise the interest and the curiosity of the public. The present article will describe how the authors have used five simple and visual experiments in chemistry and physics to progressively introduce different audiences into the fascination of nanoscience. One experiment is the synthesis of gold nanoparticles with the Turkevich method and shows the progressive appearance of the ruby-red colour of the nanometric gold particles. The second and third experiments describe the way for modulating their colour and how to include them into a polymer and form a ruby-red coloured plastic film. The fourth experiment shows that starting from these nanoparticles, it is possible to turn them back into a yellow golden film. The last experiment is based on the optical properties of ultra-thin gold films. Using the plasmon resonance, it is possible to demonstrate that gold change colours from yellow to orange and green when a white light beam is shone on the gold interface. These visual experiments cannot be fully interpreted in front of a large audience but serve for rising curiosity

Jacques Thuillier : hommage à un bienfaiteur de la Moselle et de la Lorraine

Communications de l'Année Académique 2015-201

A simple standard technique for labyrinthectomy in the rat: A methodical communication with a detailed description of the surgical process

Aims: Labyrinthectomized rats are suitable models to test consequences of vestibular lesion and are widely used to study neural plasticity. We describe a combined microsurgical–chemical technique that can be routinely performed with minimum damage. Methods Caudal leaflet of the parotis is elevated. The tendinous fascia covering the bulla is opened frontally from the sternomastoid muscle’s tendon while sparing facial nerve branches. A 4 mm diameter hole is drilled into the bulla’s hind lower lateral wall to open the common (in rodents) mastoid-tympanic cavity. The cochlear crista (promontory) at the lower posterior part of its medial wall is identified as a bony prominence. A 1 mm diameter hole is drilled into its lower part. The perilymphatic/endolymphatic fluids with tissue debris of the Corti organ are suctioned. Ethanol is injected into the hole. Finally, 10 µL of sodium arsenite solution (50 µM/mL) is pumped into the labyrinth and left in place for 15 min. Simple closure in two layers (fascia and skin) is sufficient. Results and conclusion All rats had neurological symptoms specific for labyrinthectomy (muscle tone, body position, rotatory movements, nystagmus, central deafness). Otherwise, their behavior was unaffected, drinking and eating normally. After a few days, they learned to balance relying on visual and somatic stimuli (neuroplasticity)

Oxidation of Porphyrins in the Presence of Nucleophiles: From the Synthesis of Multisubstituted Porphyrins to the Electropolymerization of the Macrocycles

International audienc

Monitoring whitebark pine stand health in the central Washington Cascades

Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis) plays a vital role in colonizing newly disturbed areas, providing shade for other tree species to germinate, and supplying food for a variety of birds and mammals, such as Clark’s Nutcrackers (Nucifraga columbiana) and grizzly bears (Ursus arctos horribilis). Decline of whitebark pine populations has been attributed to several factors, including white pine blister rust (Cronartium ribicola), mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) outbreaks, and fire exclusion. In 2009, the U.S. Forest Service began to install permanent plots in whitebark pine stands in Washington and Oregon as part of a Pacific Northwest restoration strategy to track blister rust and mountain pine beetle mortality. Forest Service crews conducted surveys on these plots that included standard tree inventory measurements and assessments of blister rust, mountain pine beetle, and fire activity. During summer 2020/2021, we remeasured 12 of these plots located in 3 areas of the Okanogan–Wenatchee National Forest (Mission Ridge, Clover Springs, and Lake Ann) and 1 area within the Ahtanum State Forest (Darland Mountain). On average, 15% of trees were newly infected by blister rust, 5% of trees died from blister rust, and 12.6% died from all causes combined in the 11–12 years between surveys. Despite this, the density of live whitebark pine trees experienced a nonsignificant increase due to regeneration, while the density of whitebark pine snags increased significantly and the density of whitebark pine seedlings decreased significantly. The percentages of trees with blister rust infection, seedlings with blister rust infection, and live trees with mountain pine beetle damage were heterogeneous over space and time. Our results help quantify parameters that are central to understanding the population dynamics of whitebark pine in the Pacific Northwest and informing management decisions, but the findings should be interpreted in light of the limited sample size and spatial extent of our data. Regular monitoring of a wider array of permanent whitebark pine plots will be critical to management of this tree species

Photocurrents at polarized liquid|liquid interfaces enhanced by a gold nanoparticle film

Photocurrent responses associated with the interfacial quenching of the photo-excited water-soluble zinc meso-tetra(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin (ZnTPPC) by ferrocene have been studied at a water|1,2-dichloroethane interface in the absence and in the presence of adsorbed gold nanoparticles. Upon addition of methanol, a mirror-like gold film is formed and an important enhancement of the photocurrent response can be observed. Intensity modulated photocurrent spectroscopy experiments (IMPS) have been performed, in order to deconvolute in the frequency domain the contribution from the competition between the recombination and the product separation arising after the electron transfer, and the attenuation associated with the resistance and interfacial capacitance (RCint) time constant of the cell